DATE= 11/20/97
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-222966
TITLE=SOUTH KOREA / SPY (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=KATE WILTROUT
DATELINE=SEOUL
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: THE SOUTH KOREAN AGENCY FOR NATIONAL SECURITY PLANNING
ANNOUNCED THURSDAY THAT IT HAS ARRESTED SIX PEOPLE, INCLUDING A
PROMINENT FORMER PROFESSOR, ON CHARGES OF SPYING FOR NORTH KOREA.
KATE WILTROUT REPORTS FROM SEOUL, THE ARRESTS SHOCKED MANY SOUTH
KOREANS AND ANALYSTS SAY THE INCIDENT MAY HAVE AN IMPACT ON NEXT
MONTH'S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS.
TEXT: KOH YOUNG-BOK WAS A WELL-LIKED SOCIOLOGY PROFESSOR AT
SOUTH KOREA'S PRESTIGIOUS SEOUL NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, AND PEOPLE
KNEW THAT HE HAD BEEN A NORTH KOREAN SOLDIER CAPTURED BY THE
SOUTH DURING THE KOREAN WAR. WHAT NOBODY SUSPECTED WAS THAT
PROFESSOR KOH MAY HAVE BEEN SPYING FOR NORTH KOREA SINCE 1961.
KIM HONG-SOK, A PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICIAL AT THE AGENCY FOR
NATIONAL SECURITY PLANNING, SAYS NO ONE SUSPECTED PROFESSOR KOH
UNTIL A NORTH KOREAN COUPLE WAS ARRESTED FOR SPYING LAST MONTH.
THEY TIPPED AUTHORITIES OFF TO THE ALLEGED ACTIVITIES OF THE
PROFESSOR AND THREE OTHER SOUTH KOREANS, WHO HAVE ALSO BEEN
ARRESTED.
ONE OF THE TWO SUSPECTED NORTH KOREANS SPIES, A WOMAN NAMED KANG
YON-JUNG, COMMITTED SUICIDE A DAY AFTER BEING ARRESTED BY
SWALLOWING A POISON CAPSULE SHE HAD HIDDEN ON HER BODY. THE
OTHER FIVE ARE IN POLICE CUSTODY.
OFFICIALS SAY THE ALLEGED NORTH KOREAN SPIES WERE TOLD TO FIND
THE SAFE HOUSE WHERE HIGH RANKING NORTH KOREAN DEFECTOR HWANG
JANG-YOP IS LIVING, GATHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE UPCOMING
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION AND COLLECT TRANSPORTATION TIMETABLES.
PROFESSOR KOH ALLEGEDLY PROVIDED HIDEOUTS FOR NORTH KOREANS AND
EARLIER, AS A SOUTH KOREAN RED CROSS DELEGATE TO 1973 TALKS ON
REUNITING SEPARATED FAMILIES, GAVE AWAY GOVERNMENT INFORMATION.
MANY SOUTH KOREANS ARE SHOCKED BY THE ALLEGATIONS AND POLITICAL
ANALYSTS SAY THE ARRESTS MAY INFLUENCE THE RESULT OF THE DECEMBER
18TH PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.
SHIN MYONG-SOON, A POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR AT YONSEI
UNIVERSITY, SAYS THE ARRESTS WILL PUT THE OPPOSITION PARTY ON THE
DEFENSIVE AND COULD INCREASE SUPPORT FOR THE RULING PARTY
CANDIDATE, WHO IS CURRENTLY IN SECOND-PLACE.
OPPOSITION CANDIDATE AND FRONT-RUNNER KIM DAE-JUNG, WHO IS MAKING
HIS FOURTH BID FOR THE PRESIDENCY, HAS OFTEN BEEN CRITICIZED FOR
HIS LEFT-LEANING IDEOLOGY. PROFESSOR SHIN SAYS THE INCIDENT WILL
AGAIN BRING IDEOLOGICAL ISSUES TO THE FOREFRONT OF THE CAMPAIGN.
KOREA'S POLITICAL LANDSCAPE HAS OFTEN BEEN AFFECTED BY CONCERNS
ABOUT NORTH KOREA. MANY PEOPLE THINK UNAUTHORIZED EXERCISES BY
NORTH KOREAN SOLDIERS INSIDE THE DEMILITARIZED ZONE DURING THE
RUN-UP TO LAST YEAR'S NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ELECTION, HELPED THE
RULING PARTY KEEP ITS MAJORITY.
PROFESSOR SHIN SAYS SECURITY FEARS, SPARKED BY THE 1992
UNCOVERING OF A SPY RING THAT INCLUDED PEOPLE WITH TIES TO KIM
DAE-JUNG, MAY HAVE AIDED THE ELECTION THAT YEAR OF THE CURRENT
PRESIDENT, THE RULING PARTY'S KIM YOUNG-SAM.
LEE JAE-YEL, A SECRETARY IN THE RULING NEW KOREA PARTY'S
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS BUREAU, SAYS THE NORTH KOREA THREAT HAS
BEEN EFFECTIVE IN WOOING VOTERS IN THE PAST, AND HE THINKS THE
ARREST MAY INCREASE SUPPORT FOR THIS YEAR'S RULING PARTY
CANDIDATE LEE HOI-CHANG.
BUT LEE JAE-YEL SAYS THAT THE PUBLIC SEEMS MOST CONCERNED WITH
THE KOREAN ECONOMY RIGHT NOW, SO THE EFFECT OF THE NEW SPY CASE
MAY BE MINOR. STILL, ANALYSTS SAY, EVEN A SMALL CHANGE IN
VOTERS' ATTITUDES COULD HAVE A MAJOR IMPACT ON THE ELECTION, IF
THE RULING PARTY CANDIDATE CAN DRAW VOTERS AWAY FROM BOTH OF HIS
COMPETITORS IN A CLOSE THREE-WAY RACE. (SIGNED)
NEB/KW/FC/KL
20-Nov-97 6:26 AM EST (1126 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.